Flexible-tine hayfork



April s, 1924.` 1,489,256

A. B. LANTZ FLEXI BLE TINE HAYFORK Filed NOV- 4.' 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 8 1924.`

A. B. LANTZ FLEXIBLE TINE HAYFOEK Filed Nov. 1 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 @www Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

Ne NNITED STATES AMS B. LAIN'TZ, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

FLEXIBLE-TINE HAYFORK.

` Application inea November 4, 1922. Serial no. 599,082.

To al? whom' it may concern.:

Be it known that I, Anios B. LANTZ, a citizen ofv the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible-Tine Hayforks, of which the following iS a speciication.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible-tine hay forks and it more especially consists of the fea-tures hereinafter pointed out in the annexed claims.

rll`he purpose of my invention is to provide a hay fork that is universally flexible; that is adapted to all grades and kinds of hay; that is more easily entered into the hay than any rigid type of fork; that in dumping the hay loosens the pile so as to make the work in the mow more easy; and that resets its release through the pulling back of the fork.

With these and other ends in view, I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying ground without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure lis a side elevation of the fork 'head partly in section detached from the tines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation in section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a semi-perspective elevation of a complete fork'as it is returned and ready to be placed into the-hay. y

F ig. 5 is a similar View to Fig.'4 Showing the fork with the tines spread and inserted in the hay.

Fig. 6 is also similar to Fig. 1 showing the fork as the hay is being dumped.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the fork immediately after dumping before it has been re-set.

In practically carr ing out my invention,

. I may use the expe ients instanced herein which in substanceutilize the ilexible features embodied in my co-pendin application, Serial Number 377,405 filed ril 28th, 1920. In this instance I have Simp iied the head of the fork and also made improvements inthe suspension of the tines.

The fork head from which the tines are suspended is composed of two flat plates 1. At their ends suspension members 2 are supported by rivets or bolts 3 between the plates 1. A malleable casting 4 having two.

supporting arms which terminate in ears 5 is assembled with the ears 5 between the plates l where they are held by rivets or bolts 6.- The two arms converge toward each other and at their junction an eye 7 is formed from which the entire fork is supported. One of the arms 4 has a stop 8 formed thereon and the other arm'has a spring hook 9 and this latterl arm in addition has an opening 10 through which the control chain 11 passes. rIlhe chain 11 has an enlarged eye 12 to which a pull rope 13 is attached. After the chain 11 passes through the opening 10, it passes through the opening 14 of the trip lever 15 and has its end Secured to the eye 16 of the two part pin 17y which is secured to the swivel suspension 18.

The trip lever 15 is pivoted between the plates 1 on a bolt or Arivet 19. This lever has a catch 2O for supporting the head 21 of the Swivel 18 and it has a Short lateral extension 22 to which one end of the spring 23 is attached andthe other end of the spring is fastened to the hook 9. This spring keeps the trip lever 15 in engagement with the stop 8 until such time as it is pulled into position, Shown by the dotted lines of Fig.

1, when the load is dropped. The head 21l ofthe swivel rests on the catch 20 of the trip lever 15 and on the projection 24 of a supporting block'25 placed between the plates 1 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. rIhe block 25 is held between the plates 1 by suitable rivets or pins 26. At the bottom end of the swivel 18V two depending ears 27 are formed leaving a channel 28 between them and pins 29 pass across this channel.

, openings 32 formed at their upper ends.

The four tines grouped in two sets have Each of the-`- chains .30 has both of its ends attached t'o curved hook ends 33 and about midway of their length at 35 a separate chain 34 connects the Same to the suspension eyes 2 placed at each end of the side bars 1. The trip chain 11 is made of a predetermined length so as to hold the swivel-18 from dropping too far when the load is tripped by reason of the enlarged eye 12 bein unable to pass through the opening 10 o one of the supporting arms 4, as shownn Figs. 6 and 7.

-The operation of the fork is extremely simple and yet positive in action. After a forkful of hay has been dumped in the mow the fork is brought back to the load on any lwell known track or rope, not shown, by means of the trip rope 13. The first result of pulling the trip rope is to raise the swivel v 18 1nto the position, shown-.in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the .tines 31 will hang suspended about as shown in Fig. 4. In` this position the swivel 18` is securely held by the head 21 resting ont-he catch 20 and the support 24. Paradoxically the pulling of the chain l 1L is the very factor that a so causes the vswivel to become reseated in the head. As

soon as the swivel 18 isreseated a further ull on the trip rope 13 will bring the fork ack to the starting point for another load. The construction as shown in Fi 1 has been practically demonstrated wit out incurring any failures of operation.

What I claim is: 1. In flexible tine hay forks, a'suitable head, means for supporting the same, a detachable swivel supported by the head, a

vpair ofl supporting loops secured, to the swivel, a palr of independent and separate `tlnes whose upper ends are free to slide on ithe supporting loops, and a separate chain for each tine secured to the ends of the head in pairs.

2. In flexible tine hay forks, a v:suitable head formed of a pair of bars spaced apart, a plurality of Achains depending from each end of sa1d bars, a suspending member secured to said head, a spring. actuated tripping lever having a catch thereon pivoted tween said bars, a sup ortng block secured Abetween the bars w ile spaced apart fromthe catch, adetachable swivel having a supporting 'head formed thereon adapte to rest on the catch and the supporting independent and separate curved tines,

means for supporting the said tines from the swivel and independently thereof from the head, and means for drawing the swivel into 'engagement with and releasing, the same from the head as desired.

"4. In hay forks, a suitable head, a sus-v 'pending member therefor, a plurality of xed supporting chains attached to the ends of the head, ,a swivel, a plurality of supporting chains attached to one endof the swivel,

-a controllin chain attached to the other end of the swive a supporting and releasing trip lever pivoted in the head, a spring for opera'ting the lever in one direction, and means comprising the aforesaid controlled chain for operating the trip lever in the other direction to. release the swivel.

5. In hay forks, a suitable head, a plurality ofindependent and separate curved tines, means for flexibly supporting the tines from the ends of the head at a limited ,dis-

tance therefrom, means for supporting the I upper ends of the tines in an attachable and detachable manner to the head, and means for selectively holding the upper ends of the tines in iexible relation to the head and also releasing the'same therefrom as desired.

In testimony whereof I aiix my` signature.

`AMos B. LANTZ. 

